


Carol's Mistake

by Befrie08



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mild Language, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 06:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Befrie08/pseuds/Befrie08
Summary: Carol is knee deep in her inner turmoil when one day she overhears that Daryl is attracted to her. Once her surprise passes, a plan arises in her mind.Seduce Daryl. Just because she's miserable doesn't mean he has to be.No feelings required on her part, right?This plan leads to Daryl making a dangerous risk.





	Carol's Mistake

Carol lay awake staring into the darkness. The only light was the sunlight spilling in through the window of her bedroom. She could hear the soft snores from behind her and the arm around her waist felt like heaven. She felt so conflicted about the whole thing. This had been her idea of course but in the wake of it she realized that it may not have been a smart idea. 

She felt him shift behind her and pull her tighter to his chest, his snores continuing, indicating he was still fast asleep. Her eyes closed involuntarily and she shivered remembering the night before. Images flashed before her and she frowned, trying to dislodge them. Her plan had pretty much backfired. Carol should have known that it wouldn’t be as simple as she believed to engage in something like this without there being emotions involved. 

It was just that she knew how depressed he had been lately and she had decided that whilst her purpose was murky and unsure, she at least could maybe cheer him up. After finding out that he was into her that way had sent a surge of confidence through her the likes of which she had never felt. She had not given it much thought before cornering him and playing out her seduction. In typical Daryl fashion, he had been skittish at first; slow to catch onto her goal. 

She had approached him with what she hoped was a sensual sway of her hips. She had caught the way he scanned her up and down and bit his lip with an unfocused gaze. As she moved closer he backed up until he was against the counter staring down at her with a nervous look. She had brought up one hand to trail her fingers lightly over the collar of his shirt and she watched the movement of his throat as he swallowed. 

“What’re you doing?” He rasped. 

She gave him a coy smile and brought her hand higher to brush his long hair back from his eyes. He followed the motion with his eyes and she lowered her hand to rest on his chest. 

“Do you want me to stop?” She questioned with a smirk. He frowned but shook his head and covered her hand with his. His body was like an inferno trying to burn her up. He still had an unsure look.

“Carol what is this?” He looked as shy as a little boy as he looked down at her all the while stroking her hand. She needed to give him a push. She moved up onto her toes and met his lips with her own. She began slowly and soft allowing him time to pull away if he wanted. Thankfully he deepened the kiss, settling his hand on her hip to pull her closer. She let her hands sink into his ridiculously long hair (He still refused to let her cut it) and softly moaned into his mouth. The kiss continued for a while like that, close mouthed but passionate, before he pulled away. His eyes had darkened and he licked his lips as he gazed at her. 

“Carol what—do you want--?” He stumbled over his words, looking incredibly flustered. His cheeks were red as a tomato and his eyes seemed unable to settle on hers. 

She made a shushing noise and massaged the back of his neck soothingly. His eyes closed momentarily with a sigh before he looked at her with that same confused look. 

“Daryl, do you want me?” She asked, starting to second-guess herself but trying not to show it. He swallowed. 

“Yeah.” He answered in a gruff voice. She grinned at that and went back in to kiss him. This time he was surer and grabbed her hips to pull her into him. He groaned in protest when she pulled back but she gave him a placating look as she inclined her head. 

“Come on,” she said and she led him by the hand upstairs to her bedroom. 

Now she lay wrapped up in Daryl’s arms as he snored peacefully behind her. She didn’t know how this would play out. She hadn’t thought through what the aftermath would be like. Maybe she could slip away quietly and gain herself some more time. She began to move his arm from around her and pull away from him but he made a soft noise and tightened his arm preventing her escape. 

“Where are you going?” he murmured sleepily, nuzzling her hair. She couldn’t help but smile. Of course he was cuddler. 

“Nowhere. Sleep well?” She asked stupidly not knowing what to say to him. He made an affirming grunt.

“Mmhm. Better than I have in years.” Her heart panged at that and she rubbed his hand comfortingly. Steeling herself, she turned over to face him. 

“That’s great.” She smiled her now famous fake smile and he frowned. She tried to turn her head away but he caught her face in his hand, gently turning her back to face him. 

“Hey, you okay?” He asked in a concerned tone. His eyes were searching hers. 

“I’m fine. I just don’t know where we’re supposed to go from here.” He seemed to think over her words for awhile before he sat up to face her. 

“Why did you come to me last night?” He asked in a confused tone. She pursed her lips. 

“I wanted to...God, this is going to sound so stupid.” She trailed off, not knowing how to confess the truth. Daryl frowned not understanding where she was going with her words. 

“Just tell me.”

She sighed. 

“I heard some of the others talking and they mentioned that you were attracted to me, which surprised me because I never would have thought you would be interested in me like that.” 

Daryl’s frown deepened.

“Why wouldn’t I be attracted to you?” He asked. Carol let out a disbelieving laugh. 

“Because you’re you. You have that rugged thing going for you and there are so many younger, prettier women here to choose from.” Daryl scoffed.

“Rugged. Pfft. You’re crazy woman. You’re better than any of them. You’re beautiful Carol.” 

Carol blinked in surprise at the matter of fact tone he used and the seriousness in his gaze. It made her chest ache with joy and pain. She wished she could be with him. 

“You’re sweet but I didn’t finish. I came to you because hearing that you felt that way gave me a surge of confidence. I figured that I could use that power I apparently had over you to help make you happier.” 

Daryl was hanging onto her every word and she could see the wheels turning. 

“To make me happier? Not you?” He asked in a small voice and she had to avoid his gaze.

“I can’t be happy anymore so I figured if I could make you happy, that would be enough.” 

The silence was stifling in the room. 

“So you didn’t even want this? I knew there was something wrong. Why the hell would you do that?” 

Daryl immediately tore himself away from her and began pulling his clothes on. She could feel her eyes watering as she watched. He wouldn’t look at her. 

“Daryl, I’m sorry. I know it was stupid.” She tried to apologise. He cut her off as he turned after buttoning his shirt as he stormed to the door. 

“You’re right, it was stupid. You didn’t do me no favour Carol. I don’t need your damn pity!” 

With that he slammed the door as he left. She couldn’t stop herself from breaking down and sobbing into the mattress.

Once she had pulled herself together and left her house, she tried to hide how crappy she felt. She walked aimlessly through Alexandria. What an idiot she had been! She had definitely ruined Daryl and her relationship forever. 

“Carol! Wait up!” She heard someone call behind her and she stopped and turned. 

She watched as Rick caught up to her. He looked worried and her stomach clenched. Rick’s worried face always caused her stomach to become full of knots. 

“Rick?” She asked in greeting. 

“Hey, Have you talked to Daryl?” Rick questioned. Carol’s stomach dropped. 

“No, not since this morning, why?” she answered as honestly as she dared. Rick breathed out in frustration. 

“Damn it. I figured if anyone would know what’s wrong with him, it would be you.”

“What do you mean, what’s wrong with him?” She asked him worriedly.

“He’s been in a shit mood all morning and when I tried to talk to him, he punched me in the face before storming off. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry. Not even when I left Merle on the roof in Atlanta.” Rick said and she noticed the bruise forming around his eyes. 

“Sorry about your eye. It’s kinda my fault.” 

Rick scoffed.

“How is it your fault? Daryl never gets pissed at you. You get away with so much shit with him that none of us could never do.” 

She pressed her lips together guiltily. 

“I hurt him badly Rick. It was really stupid.”

Rick sobered instantly as he noted her seriousness. 

“Wait, you’re serious. It was really you that pissed him off that much? Carol, What the hell happened?” 

“We had sex.” Carol said feeling like she ripped off a bandaid. Rick blinked. He was silent for a moment before a tiny chuckle burst forth. 

“Rick this is not funny!” 

Rick seemed to try to stop laughing without success. He finally stopped with a small smile. 

“Sorry. I know it’s not funny, it’s just we’ve been waiting for you two to get together for so long. What did you do? Tell him he sucked?” Rick asked with a barely concealed smirk. 

“No! I told him the truth! I seduced him in an attempt to cheer him up.” She explained, feeling the guilt continue to eat at her. 

Rick's face dropped all signs of humour. He looked confused now. 

“But you love him.” Rick stated. So Rick knew how she felt about Daryl.

“Of course I do. It’s not that simple though.” She tried to explain. 

“Why not? Did you tell him that you love him?” Rick asked.

“No I didn’t tell him.” Carol replied and Rick’s face darkened.

“Carol are you telling me that you told Daryl that you slept with him only to cheer him up?” Rick sounded resigned. 

“Well, yes that is basically what I said.” 

Rick rubbed his forehead with a sigh.

“No wonder. Carol you’ve made a real mess here.” Rick said stating the obvious. 

“I know that Rick. Why do you say ‘No Wonder’?” She asked curious. 

“I know why he’s like this now. He’s not angry. He’s heartbroken.” Carol blinked, thinking it through. 

“But...” she began but Rick cut her off. 

“Think about it. How would you feel if the woman you loved came onto you and you thought you finally had her only to find out the next day that she didn’t love you the same?” Carol’s eyes widened, now realising how Daryl must have felt about her revelation.

“But I do. Love him I mean. Oh god, Rick I fucked up.” 

“He got on his bike and left the gates about an hour ago.”

She wasted no time in running to the armoury, grabbing a gun and heading for the gate. Eugene was on shift, pacing aimlessly as she strode up, shouting at him to open the gate. She ignored the man’s inquiring gaze as she exited the gate and headed to one of the cars parked outside. 

It didn’t take her long to find her target. She was shocked at the sight that greeted her. Daryl in the middle of a small horde of walkers. Her alarm deepened as she realised he was completely unarmed, fighting them bare handed. She could see his knife still in it’s place on his hip. 

She screeched the car to a stop and scrambled out quickly, gun and knife ready. The walkers began to tune into the new interruption, a few breaking off from the group to head her way. As far as she could tell, Daryl had not even noticed her presence yet. She could still see him beating walkers bloody and egging them on. 

She easily sank her knife into the heads of the two walkers who approached her first. When more continued coming, she switched to her gun. She fired and took out three, getting closer to Daryl as she went. She could probably take out most of the walkers he was facing. That was her goal first off, eliminate the threat. The rest could wait until they were safe. 

She took out the walker he had been beating on at the time and he finally looked up, noticing her. His face twisted into a scowl.

“The hell are you doing? Go home!” He shouted at her as he punched a walker in the jaw, causing said jaw to detach from its head. 

She ignored him and shot at another three walkers, narrowing the herd to just five. She watched as he became more aggressive in his attacks on the dead things, her interference clearly angering him. 

“Daryl, this is ridiculous! Let’s go!” Carol shouted back above the groans of the walkers. She aimed her gun at another walker. Daryl shouldered one of the walkers away from him to address her again. 

“Don’t you get it? I don’t want you here!” he growled at her. 

She flinched as the words triggered a memory in her. The farm. Sophia. She blinked and tried to gather herself again. The moment was enough for her guard to be down. She watched confused as Daryl’s face twisted in horror.

“Carol, watch out!” he yelled desperately. She whirled and came face to face with the rotting face of a woman-walker. 

She began to raise her gun instinctively but it was too late. The walker was too close already and her gun was sent flying from her hand as the walker toppled her to the ground. She grunted in pain as her back collided with the hard concrete. The walker snapped hungrily at her face as she struggled to push it from her form. She freed one hand to reached down to her knife. Her fingertips continued to brush the hilt of her knife, not reaching enough. She began to accept that this was it.

“Daryl, I’m sorry!” she sobbed out, hopefully audibly enough as her hands began to stop their struggle. 

The gunshot caused her heart to jump and she let out a gasp as the dead thing collapsed on top of her. She blinked in surprise that she was still alive. Her senses began to come back to her as the corpse was ripped from her and the form of Daryl standing above her filled her gaze. 

He looked frantic and panicked, now holding her dropped gun. His hands sought hers out, pulling her from the ground. She could see his eyes, wide and frenzied, racing over her, head to toe. 

“God, Carol, are you okay? Didn’t get ya, did it?” he asked in a desperate tone. She felt his hands begin to brush over her arms, feeling for signs of bites. 

“I’m fine Daryl,” Carol vowed as she stepped back from him to catch her breath. She heard him exhale loudly and watched as he bent to rest his hands on his knees. He took a few deep breaths before finally looking at her again. 

“What the hell was that Carol? What are you doing here?” he rasped out with an accusing look. She glared back at him.

“What do you think I’m doing? I came to bring you home,” Carol retorted, trying to keep her tone even. She wasn’t here to start a fight. He scoffed and shook his head, straightening. 

“You shouldn’t have bothered. I was fine,” he bit out, storming to the tree-line where she now saw his crossbow lying. 

“Are you kidding me, Daryl? You were unarmed! Were you trying to get yourself killed?” She snapped at him, still incredulous that he had done such a foolish thing. 

“I was having fun, letting off some steam,” he lied with his mouth set grimly. 

“No, you were upset, because of what happened. I’m sorry for how that went down,” She started. 

He shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him whatsoever.

“Whatever. Don’t matter to me none.” 

She approached him purposefully, noting the way his bravado dropped momentarily. She could still see in his eyes the adoration she saw this morning, though she knew he was trying to hide it. 

She reached out and held his cheek in her hand.

“Don’t. I know it does and I need to explain properly. I made a mess of things.” 

He grunted, looking reluctant still but he did stop attempting to escape her presence. 

“I know what you think happened between us, but you’re wrong,” she started and he frowned not understanding what she was getting at. 

“You think it didn’t mean anything and that I did it just for your benefit. I admit, some of that is true,” she continued and his face crumpled a little at the admission and he tried to step away from her but she held firm.

“No, Daryl, listen to me. I did do it in an attempt to make you feel better but that doesn’t mean it didn’t mean anything to me. God, you have no idea. It meant everything!” she confessed in a hushed tone and she saw his eyes widened in surprise. He bit his lip as she saw his mind begin to whir. 

“I’m sorry I made it seem like I didn’t even want you. That’s not true, not even a bit. I love you, Daryl,” she finally confessed and he swallowed in response. He had gradually began to relax in her hold and now he didn’t look ready to flee at a moment’s notice. 

“What was with this morning then,” he asked in a small voice and her heart broke at seeing him so vulnerable. She felt awful for letting her demons affect him like this. 

“I’ve been trying to shut myself off, to be emotionless. I thought I’d be able to do that with you. Of course I was wrong. I can’t ever be anything but me with you,” she said with a watery smile. The tension in him was gone now and she watched as he took the hand which held his face in his hand. She melted when his brought her hand to his lips, kissing her gently. 

“If you don’t want us to be anything, I understand. I know you’ve been through some shit. But I’m here for you, whatever you need,” Daryl vowed sweetly as he used his unoccupied hand to brush over her cheek. She leant into his touch. 

“I just need you,” she promised with a watery smile before she reached up and pressed her lips to his. He sighed out against her mouth in relief as he returned the kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I considered including their night together but that wasn't the point of this fic and I'm not too great and writing that kind of stuff. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.


End file.
